Little League Organizations and Orthopedic Surgeons Call for Limiting Pitch Count for Baseball Players

HINSDALE, Ill., Feb. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study is throwing a curve ball for young baseball players -- especially pitchers -- who overuse their throwing arm by practicing too much and pitching too many innings. The study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine shows the stress from too many throwing motions may significantly harm the developing muscles and bones in the shoulders of young ball players.  

The study followed 481 pitchers for 10 years and found that young players who pitched more than 100 innings in a year were 3.5 times more likely to be injured than their fellow players who pitched less.

"We are taking this research very seriously," says Rich Simon, director of the Hinsdale Little League. We are strictly enforcing the number of times a player throws the ball. For example, a pitcher over age 8 and under age 14 is only allowed 66 pitches a day and then four calendar days of rest must be observed."  

Dr. Ken Schiffman, an orthopedic surgeon with Hinsdale Orthopaedics, known for treating young athletes with shoulder injuries, is joining forces with Simon to offer a seminar for coaches, players and parents on "overuse of the throwing arm and ways to prevent injuries."  The seminar is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, March 7, Hinsdale Community House, 415 W. Eighth Street.

"I see a young baseball player with tendonitis in his shoulder and then by high school or college it is a tear in his rotator cuff and eventually he ends up with rotator cuff surgery and later in life, he may need a shoulder replacement," says Dr. Schiffman.  "If we can start early, we might be able to prevent injuries later in life."

Ted Hirschfeld, who is an athletic trainer at Hinsdale Central High School, agrees.  "Parents also need to be involved if they want to protect their children from injuries and from shoulder problems that may not show up until adulthood."

To register for the seminar, please call 630-887-0278. For more information on shoulder injuries and prevention exercises, log on to www.hand2shouldermd.com

SOURCE Dr. Ken Schiffman, Hinsdale Orthopaedics